between the raindrops
by merry-chan-san-sama
Summary: A collection of Rinharu drabbles - ratings will vary with each. All Free! characters will appear/be mentioned at some point.
1. Happy New Year

Rin rests his chin in his hand, his eyes glued to Haruka's back.

Haruka doesn't turn around. "Quit staring at me."

Rin ignores him. "I think," he declares, the edges of his mouth twitching in the beginnings of a wolfish grin, "that you love me a _lo__t_."

"Be quiet," Haruka mutters sulkily, finally moving away from the counter with the platter of meat in his hands. The savory smell wafts toward his nostrils, and Rin swallows the saliva pooling in his mouth. "It's only for the occasion."

"It looks great," Rin tells him, and presses a kiss to his cheek. The disgruntled expression remains. So he adds, "Happy New Year, Haru," and kisses his mouth instead, and Haruka turns away to hide a smile.


	2. He Tops

"Rinharu-chan."

"Haruka-senpai onii-chan."

"_Rin_haru-chan."

"_Haruka-senpai_ onii-chan."

"Haruka-senpai onii-chan."

"Rinharu-chan."

Nagisa giggles.

Gou claps a hand to her forehead and groans. "Oh - _damn you_!"

"What are you two bickering about?"

"Ah, Mako-chan," Nagisa greets him, rushing forward to grab Makoto's hands, his upturned face earnest. "Rin-chan tops when he and Haru-chan have sex, right?"

Both Nagisa and Gou erupt in laughter when Makoto turns bright red and splutters.


	3. Call Me

The phone rings, startlingly loud in the quiet of the Nanase household.

Before his grandmother can dry her hands and set the dishes aside so she can answer, Haruka beats her to it. Still a little breathless from the run from one end of the room to the other, he snatches the receiver and presses it firmly to his ear.

"Rin?"

A long pause.

His shoulders slump.

"Haru-chan?"

The receiver clatters as it hits the table, and Haruka doesn't meet his grandmother's eyes.

"It's for you."

* * *

this takes place a little after Rin went to Australia, if you haven't already figured that out.


	4. Have a Taste

"What flavor is that?"

Haruka looks at him. Without warning, he grips the back of Rin's neck and pushes his tongue into his mouth in answer.

A few seconds later, they pull away, both panting slightly. Rin rolls the piece of candy around in his mouth.

"Sweet," he comments after a moment. "I like it."

His throat bobs as he swallows, and even though aren't any left, he leans back over to Haruka for more.

* * *

to the guest that reviewed - i'm glad you do!


	5. Surprise

Rin goes home that day to find Haruka on their bed, sprawled out on his back, wearing nothing but his blue apron, his legs held invitingly apart.

"Welcome home," he says.

Rin gapes.

"What the _hell_."

A frown settles on Haruka's face. "You're the one that said you liked seeing me in this ap - _mmph_ - "

The bed creaks noisily as Rin crawls over Haruka, groaning against his mouth. "I didn't think you'd go this far, you dumbass."

Then he pauses for a second, and - as if in afterthought - adds, "You should do this more often."


	6. Fight

Rin pissing Haruka off is a common occurrence.

Haruka losing his temper is not.

"Maybe you should leave," he finally says, not looking at Rin, his knuckles white around the kitchen knife handle.

Miffed, Rin snaps back, "Yeah – well, you know what, maybe I will – "

Before Haruka has even opened his mouth to reply, Rin spins around – his back stiff, his shoulders tense – and without another word, storms out of the room. His footsteps, noisy and rapid, soon fade.

Distantly, Haruka hears him say "_fuck!_" and the front door slam shut.

He scowls and delivers a particularly savage stab to his slab of fish.


	7. Stupid Brothers

"Honestly, he does nothing but sulk all day - like this - " Gou imitates Rin - bottom lip pushed out in an exaggerated pout, arms folded over her chest - and whines, "_'It's all Haru's fault, go make Haru apologize, I didn't do anything wrong.'"_

Nitori laughs nervously. "I'm sure Senpai's just very upset - "

"Oh, _upset all right,_" Gou explodes, and he flinches. "You should hear him complain about Haruka-senpai - it's ridiculous."

"What's ridiculous?" Nagisa butts in, a towel draped over his head, his hair still wet from his swim.

"Onii-chan is." Grumbling under her breath, she pushes her way past the other two. "Maybe you can knock some sense into his stupid head."

Nagisa's laughter chimes bright and clear. "It's okay - Rin-chan can never stay away from Haru-chan for too long. Right, Ai-chan?"

"I - I suppose - " Nitori blinks, bewildered. "And I already told you, don't call me Ai-chan…"

"You'll see, Gou-chan," Nagisa ignores his protests and calls after her, "I bet he'll go back before the day's even over!"


	8. Confession

"I like you, Rin."

Haruka says it so plainly, so flatly that the words do not register at first.

"I thought you should know."

_You're so selfish,_ Rin wants to tell him, wants to get angry because why would he tell him _now_, of all times… but he doesn't, and - just as quietly - he says, instead,

"I like you, too."

The hand he clasps with his shaking fingers - when he finally dares to reach out for him - is cold, but the small smile that Haruka shows him is anything but.

* * *

teaser for a fic i'm working on hehe


	9. Cleanse

"I'm going to stick it in now."

Rin inhales slowly. "Go ahead - _ah_!"

"...relax," Haruka says, stroking the side of Rin's face in a halfhearted attempt to soothe him, and gives them both a moment to readjust. "Ready?"

"I _told_ you not to put it in so deep," comes the muffled growl as Rin buries his face back into the pillow. Haruka sighs heavily through his nose, his fingers working at a steady pace.

"Maybe you should do it yourself," he says once he's finished, grimacing at the earwax-coated end of the cotton swab, and stands up to throw it away. "You always whine when I do it. Besides," he adds, when Rin shoots an irritated glare up at him, "it's kind of gross."


	10. Warmth

Haruka shivers against Rin, tucking his chin deeper into the folds of his scarf.

"I'm freezing."

"...it's not that cold," Rin says gruffly, and his arm jolts against Haruka as he slips it clumsily around his waist, pulling him closer. "I still don't understand why you'd whine about the cold when you're perfectly fine with jumping in a pool in _April_."

"That's different," Haruka responds quickly, "the water… makes me feel warm inside."

Rin rolls his eyes at how fond he sounds.


	11. Obvious

"I'm glad to see they're getting along so well," Amakata says, all serene smiles and perfectly curled hair underneath the shade of her umbrella.

Sasabe - still a little jittery around her, despite having gotten over the initial shock that this woman was his Marin-chan - stammers a confused, "huh?"

"The boys, I mean," she explains, nodding at them as they emerge from the changing rooms, with Makoto leading, the rest following close behind. Gou immediately springs forward, training schedule clutched in one hand and a timer in the other. "Nanase-kun and that boy from Samezuka, especially… Matsuoka-kun, is it?"

Sasabe stares at her dumbly. "What do you mean, 'especially'?"

She laughs. "You haven't noticed?"


	12. Mauled

Nobody mentions it during practice - they're not sure if they even _want_ to know.

"Hey, Mako-chan," Nagisa whispers, a hand cupped over his mouth. "Do you think - ?"

Makoto buries his face in his hands, and even though Nagisa can't see it anymore, he's certain that it must be flaming red. Grinning, Nagisa leans over to Rei instead.

"Rei-cha - "

"No."

Nagisa pouts. "But he _does_," he insists, and both Rei and Makoto inch a little further away from him. "Haru-chan _does_ look like he's been mauled by a shark."

* * *

rin's a little rough


	13. Dream

"Yesterday - you won't believe this - yesterday Haru told me he's willing to go to the Olympics with me. I'm telling you, Nanase _don't-care-about-competitions-or-winning_ Haruka - crazy, right?

"It's amazing; I've been asking him about it for ages and he always just kind of… looks away every time. That sucked - I'd just about given up by then. He's stubborn when he wants to be, even more than I am."

He takes a deep breath, fiddling with the ends of his sleeves.

"But now I… I think I've found a new dream, Dad."


	14. Wet

"...forgot your umbrella _again_?"

Wordlessly, Haruka nods, water dripping off the ends of his hair. With a resigned grumble, Rin grabs Haruka's arm and yanks him out of the rain.

"Wear this," he orders, the umbrella dipping unsteadily from side to side as he shrugs off his jacket and thrusts it at Haruka. It doesn't change the fact that his shirt is soaked through, of course, but Haruka catches it and pulls it on eagerly anyway.

Rin mutters something like "there's no way anyone can forget their umbrella _three times_ in the same week", and Haruka, tugging Rin's - warm - jacket a little more snugly around himself, pretends not to hear.


	15. Preoccupied

Rin doesn't notice him approaching – not until the footsteps shuffle to a stop and a set of golden eyes peer into his own.

Startled, he jolts and stumbles back a few steps, his towel fluttering off his head. "What the – "

Seijuurou frowns, lines of tension forming around the corners of his mouth. "You're distracted," he says after a brief pause.

"Huh?" Rin's cheeks flush pink, and he hides it by leaning over to snatch his towel back up. "What the hell do you mean? I'm not distracted."

"…nothing, never mind."

Seijuurou decides not to mention the glazed, dreamy way Rin had been staring at the side of the pool, and the subtle - almost shy - smile that appeared soon afterward. It was embarrassing enough just to watch.


	16. Seven Minutes

"I'm not doing this." Rin slams the side of his fist on the closet door and swears when it shudders but holds firm. "I can't believe Nagisa fucking _locked it_."

Their knees jostle as Haruka wriggles around a little, trying to find a more comfortable position. "…move over," he says, exasperated.

"There's no room," Rin snaps back. "_Ow – _shit, don't kick me, you idiot – "

_Seven minutes in heaven, my ass_, he thinks, elbows knocking against the sides of the closet, Haruka's legs tangled with his, _more like seven minutes in _hell.


	17. Private Study Sessions

"Your scores aren't getting any better, Haru," Makoto says as he pores over Haruka's most recent test paper. Green eyes linger dubiously on the big red zero marked at the top. "Didn't you ask Rin to come over so he can help you with English?"

"Yeah," Haruka mumbles past his straw, swirling it lazily around in his mouth. The last of the juice disappears down his throat, the cold, sweet taste still fresh on his tongue.

"Then, why…"

Haruka is suddenly completely absorbed in the beads of water sliding down his glass, and doesn't see the embarrassed blush on Makoto's face when he groans.

"Haru, you're supposed to _study_."


	18. Cancer

He finds Rin curled up in a puddle of his own vomit late in the night, his hospital gown soaked through and his sallow skin damp with sweat. The stench fills Haruka's nostrils the moment he steps inside the room, but he hardly notices.

"Sorry," Rin whispers, and doesn't seem to have the will or strength to feel embarrassed.

An iron fist clenches around Haruka's heart, and he keeps his expression carefully neutral. "It's not your fault."


	19. Gift

"Still deciding, Haru-chan?"

Haruka sighs in response.

"You've been wandering around this aisle for half an hour now, Haru-chan."

Nagisa receives a sharp glance this time. With a lighthearted giggle, he bounces over to Haruka's side and latches onto his arm. "I'd help you," he chirps, as Haruka tries - unsuccessfully - to detach Nagisa from his arm, "but then it wouldn't be _your_ present to Rin-chan."

"I don't need your help, anyway."

"...You know, I think Rin-chan would be very happy knowing Haru-chan remembered," Nagisa adds, smiling, and – he might have imagined it, but – Haruka's stony expression softens just a little.


	20. A Pool of Cherry Blossoms

Distantly, Rin hears Haruka clearing his throat.

"I - I thought you might like it," he says, not quite meeting Rin's eyes – but with Rin's gaze fixed on the glistening surface of the pool and the spots of light pink that drift across it, it made little difference. "I don't know if you still… want to swim in one, so I wasn't sure…"

He trails off, and Rin struggles to swallow.

"Rin?"

"What?" he manages, gruffly – only to find his throat clenching again at the sight of those clear blue eyes flickering back to his, watching him so attentively, so fondly –

"I told you not to cry," Haruka murmurs, and through the blur of his tears, Rin sees the corners of his mouth lift in a small smile.

"I'm not crying," he snaps - halfheartedly - and hates the small, choked noise that slips involuntarily from his throat. "I just didn't – I didn't think you'd remember," _even after all this time_, "it was a stupid, fucking stupid wish and you still –" _have no idea how much this means to me_.

Rin is unprepared for the warmth of Haruka's fingers when they brush against his – then, as if on a second thought, wrap around his hand and give a light squeeze.

"I wouldn't have forgotten."

Haruka looks down at their locked fingers, and for a second Rin thinks that he's going to let go. Impulsively, he looks down, too, to trace every line of Haruka's hand with his eyes, to memorize how soft and warm and gentle it feels on his own. He has a feeling he'll want the memory for later.

Instead, Haruka's grip tightens. His tone is firm. "You should know that."

Rin lets out a slow breath, and, summoning every last bit of whatever is left of his courage, squeezes his hand back.

"...Happy birthday, Rin," Haruka says very quietly, almost a whisper, and leans in the same time Rin does.


	21. Quiet

"Don't open the door, Mako-chan. We'll probably see something _awful_."

Makoto's face pales. "Wh - what do you mean–?"

_"Sssh_," Nagisa hisses again, and Makoto falls silent, albeit reluctantly. Scooting forward as quietly as he can manage, Nagisa presses his ear to the door and waits.

It's quiet for a long moment. Then –

Makoto claps a hand over his mouth, looking positively terrified. "Nagisa, that's – "

Nagisa's face lights up in a wicked grin. "_That's_ why we should never leave them alone for more than two minutes," he declares, just as another long, shaky moan slips out from inside.


	22. Summer Afternoons

in which rin never left because i need a fic about that very very badly

* * *

When they break apart, the first thing Rin does is to drop his head on the back of his chair and groan.

"It's way too hot for this," he mumbles, and pulls at his school tie until it drapes loose around his neck, his revealed collarbone damp with sweat. "Let's go swim instead."

"Okay," Haruka says, sliding off Rin's lap, "race you."

"Wha – that's _my_ line –"

Not waiting for him to finish, Haruka slips out the door, leaving a still slightly dazed Rin to scramble to his feet and bolt after him, smiling to himself when familiar laughter echoes all the way down the hall.


	23. A Little Help

"Ooh, look, Rin-chan," Nagisa says, jabbing his index finger at the computer screen, "You should definitely try _that_ with Haru-chan!"

Rin feels the back of his neck flare. "Don't be stupid," he replies lamely, desperately wondering – for the umpteenth time – why Nagisa even suggested this in the first place. "Haru hasn't said anything about – you know." He clears his throat. "Yet."

"Don't be a wuss, Rin-chan. You're totally hiding a boner," Nagisa comments, and throws himself out of the way when Rin, blushing furiously, snarls and aims a halfhearted punch in his direction.


	24. Smile

Pulling desperately at Rin's hands prove to be futile, Haruka finds out, and eventually settles for an irritated glare up at him instead.

Rin takes one look at his face and explodes with laughter. "Jesus – you should see yourself now," he chokes out once the laughter has subsided enough for him to speak, tears springing to his eyes at the mere sight of Haruka trying – and failing – to scowl.

"You're not funny," Haruka attempts to say, but Rin only tugs at his cheeks again, his own smile smug.


End file.
